Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
by chittychittybangbang16
Summary: Dick discovers that his ex girlfriend, Kory has undergone a procedure that erases all her memories of him after their failed relationship. Frustrated, Dick decides to have Kory erased from his memory, but realizes he doesn't want to forget.
1. Future

Summary: Dick discovers that his long-time girlfriend, Kory has undergone an experimental procedure that erases all her memories of him after their failed relationship. Frustrated, Dick decides to undergo the same procedure and have Kory erased from his memory. Once the procedure starts, however, Dick realizes he doesn't really want to forget her.

This is based on my favorite romantic movie. It's complicated so pay close attention.

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or Eternal..., or In Memoriam: 27

* * *

_**I hold it true, what'er befall,**_  
_**I feel it, when I sorrow most,**_  
_**'Tis better to have loved and lost,**_  
_**Than never to have loved at all.**_

Dick knew it was going to be a bad day from the moment he woke up on Monday morning.

After working straight through the weekend in his increasingly unorganized home office, he had the joy of getting up extra early to get to the office downtown in time for a staff meeting. After hitting the snooze button four times he dragged himself out of bed and into the shower, determined to be no later than he already was, which by now was at least a full sixteen minutes. The cold water shocked him awake. Damn it he was suppose to call the plumber to fix the problem with the heater. He quickly towel dried himself , dressed, and stumbled into the kitchen toward the coffee can, which to his discontent was empty. He grumbled in response, and quickly pulled out his wallet. He dug through it sure he had, had a twenty in there. All there was, was three dollars and forty-two cents. Not even enough to buy a regular coffee at Starbucks.

He groaned staring at his watch, he grabbed the files he would need for his staff meeting. On the way to his parked car he stuffed his files into his briefcase, He was sure it was going to rain, and after spending nine and a half hours typing the damn proposal the last thing he needed was to have it ruined by rain. Besides that it was really, good and today was the day he finally got his promotion.

Dick began to drive his beaten down Volvo down the gray highway towards the train station. If he were to drive all the way down town the traffic would make sure he would not be on time for work. The slow drizzle quickly transformed into a harsh down pour. Dick flicked on his windshield wipers and slid into am empty parking space outside the train station. One the car was turned off, he twisted his body around and began dig through his clutter in his back seat for the umbrella he knew he left there. He rummaged through old newspapers and outdated files. He was sure there had am umbrella back there. He slammed his hands against the steering wheel in frustration.

"Damn it." he sighed.

After a few moments of crude cursing, he tucked his brief case under his arm. He opened the door ready to face the stormy conditions. He made a run for the platform. He stepped in a puddle soaking his socks and slopping his shoes.

"Shit." he cursed under his breath.

He slid his card through the reader and pushed open the security gate. The train would be arriving in about ten minutest. He fell onto a wooden bench, and watched the rain fall onto the railroad tracks. The terminal was a lot emptier than usual. Probably one of those Monday mornings when most disgruntled employees were nursing hangovers and called in sick to avoid having to live up to their responsibilities.

Dick glanced up to see that, in fact, he was the only one there. Well with the exception of a strange woman examining a map of down town Jump City, bolted in the center of the terminal. She didn't notice Dick staring at her. He didn't notice that he was staring at her, but she unusual. She had the widest green eyes he had ever seen, and no bags underneath indicating that she was well rested. Dick on the other hand was often stopped in streets being asked who punched him. She had the strangest shade of red hair. Auburn maybe? She was wearing a wrinkled white blouse and suit-skirt, that was mismatched with a pair of paint stained sneakers.

The girl turned toward Dick, who politely turned away. He felt his cheeks flush. Out of his perennial vision he could see her still watching him, leaning against the wooden pole. She straightened her posture as if preparing to walk over to him. Dick's heart began to race. The girl lurched toward him. To his relief the train pulled across from him. Dick took a sigh of relief, and hopped up from his seat and quickly fled towards the sliding doors.

It was a lot warmer inside the train than he had expected. Ignoring the careless glances of the prior riders. He hobbled toward the back of the train. Falling into an empty seat, he watched the doors close behind the strange girl. She looked around the compartment as the train began to pull forward. The chug of the wheels taking speed. Dick closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cracked plexi glass window.

He imagined how unprofessional it would look when he arrived at the staff meeting drenched and at least fifteen minutes late. His maniacal boss would have a fit. In the two years that Dick had been working there he had been late once, due to reasons beyond his control. His boss still rode him about it. Never mind the countless times he had been at least a half an hour early. Dick suddenly felt a presence standing before him. He opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly to see the weird girl standing in front of him. She smiled at him and gave an awkward wave. Her teeth were perpetually white, he noted. She bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Hi." she said. "I'm sorry to bother you-you looked deep in thought, but I don't go down town too often and I'm not really sure where I'd be going. So anyways you wouldn't happen to know how to get from the station to North Fourth street, would you?"

Dick stared at her blankly for a short moment. She seemed hopeful standing there smiling at him. For one devious moment he actually considered breaking her happy little spirit.

"Uh sure." he said sitting up in his seat. He looked around distractedly. "Do you have a map?"

She pulled a wrinkled map of down town Jump City, out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Pen?" he asked feeling his pocket for one. "Never mind." he said pulling a pen out of the inside of his coat pocket. It was a glossy glass pen with the words the Paramount inscribed in gold lettering. His eyes squinted. The Paramount was an art gallery up in Blüdhaven. He had never even been to Blüdhaven. He shook it off probably grabbed it by mistake at work.

"Once you get off, go immediately down Hudson way, but turn once you get onto Denali road, go all the way down until you're on east on Fourth street." he explained while drawing guidelines on the map. "Keep going up the block, then you'll reach your destination."

He handed her the map. She glanced it over. "Wow thank you. You know this guide is really great. Are you an artist?"

Dick knew she was kidding, but what else do you say when a cute girl flirts with you? Don't be stupid you little twit. Take your damn map and shut the hell up.

Dick responded with a chuckle. She took a sudden seat across from him. "I do some painting whenever I can get some free time, which isn't so often. To pay the rent I work at a temp agency, which is why I'm here actually. This month I'm a secretary at a law firm, which translates as I do all the things other people don't want to do for minimum wage. What do you do for a living?"

"Uh," he considered lying. "You wouldn't believe me. It's kind of lame."

"Try me." she tempted.

"I work at greeting card company. I'm a copy writer, which means I come up with slogans for greeting cards."

He prepared himself for the laughter. He waited, but she never did. She smiled at him innocently and even interested. "Really, I always just assumed they came from the same place fortune cookies came from."

"Yeah where is that?"

"I have no idea." she held her hand out to him. "Kory Anders. Kory is just a nick name."

He accepted her handshake. "Dick Grayson. Dick is also a nick name."

She giggled a light hearted, genuine giggle. The rest of the ride was silent. every so often Dick would steal a glance at Kory who was busy reading a weathered and beaten copy of Wuthering Heights. Finally the train pulled into the platform. Dick and Kory silently exited and walked through the station. Together they stepped onto the bustling streets of Jump. It had stopped raining and the atmosphere had become very humid and the streets were still wet. It was muggy and cloudy but Dick could see the sun trying to peek through.

Kory sighed. "Well thanks for your help." she said indifferently and began her trek down the street.

Dick watched ger until she was out of ear shot. "Bye." he said quietly. He sighed realizing he was going to make himself later than he already was. He journeyed in the opposite direction. Dick broke out into a sprint half way down the block. He burst through the front doors nearly knocking over a poor intern with a large stack of papers. He lost his patience at the elevator and decided it would be more time efficient to jog up the stairs. By the time he reached the second floor he was out of breath.

"Am I late?" he gasped at the confused looking secretary. Before she could answer him a group of laughing employers pushed open the doors.

"Grayson, you look a mess." his boss Mr. Jody said, before opening the doors to the conference room. Dick sighed with relief. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all.

The meeting went on as usual. Dick was the youngest person in attendance, by at least ten years. The significantly napped and fiddled with their fingers, while Mr. Jody explained last months numbers. Dick diligently took notes on his handy dandy legal pad. The meeting was pretty standard. Finally it was Dick's turn to present his information,. He did a fantastic job on his powerpoint. He was so getting this promotion. When he was finished he had a seat.

"Thank you Grayson." Mr. Jody said. "Now the moment you have all been waiting for. As you all know we've been observing some of our top copy writers and we have finally made a decision on who will be promoted to junior executive. This man is someone who is hard working, diligent, and dedicated. His ideas have made this company thousands of dollars every month, and I think this person will eventually allow this company to compete against the like of Hallmark."

Dick dedided that he would act surprise when Mr. Jody announced him. He straightened his tie. "Congratulation, Xavier."

Dick's mouth dropped open. Xavier who was sitting across from his sleeping made a weird gurgling noise before snapping awake. "Huh?"

The crowd minus Dick quickly surrounded Xavier patting him on the back and congratulating him. It took a minute to process into Dick's mind and when he did, he snapped. He stood up pushing his chair back and slamming his hands on the table. "What!"

The room was silent. Dick began to wonder what he was doing. "Grayson what's the meaning of this?" he said referring to his outburst.

"What's the- what's the meaning? How about the fact that I've busted my ass in this dump for two years, while Xavier has been here for two months. It was my idea to introduce pet death sympathy cards, and I've made more money for this company than any other copy writer in the city. I deserve that raise!"

Mr. Jody was silent for awhile. Dick momentairly considered taking it back and apologizing and blaming into a some new medication he was one, but he was tired of being the yes man.

"Grayson," Mr. Jody started. "You are more valuable to me here. Think of it as a compliment. I can't afford to loose you, but if you don't like it the door is always open." It was a hollow threat Dick knew, but nevertheless one half hour later he was on an elevator holding a box with all his desk knickknacks in it. He was in a daze when he left. He quit in the heat of the moment and it only began to sink in when he was standing in the front of the Heart Made Card Company building, in the pouring rain, holding a box of his stuff. He handed the box to a hobo on the street and began to make his way down the street. He decided to give both him and Mr. Jody some space. He would beg for his job back tomorrow.

He found himself in the santuary that was a pub. The baseball game was playing on a widescreen televsion and some drunk construction workers were cheering in the background. Dick stared into his half drunken glass of beer. He couldn't believe he had quit his job. He rested his head on the edge of the bar and groaned loudly. He didn't notice the sleek body that sat on the stool next to him. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped, startled. It was the girl he met on the train this morning. Kory, was it?

"Hey." she said pleasantly. "Small world. Aren't you out of work a little early?"

He looked her emotionless and then laughed. "Actually I quit today. Something...came up. And me? Aren't you out of work only."

She looked at his watch. "Ironically enough I'm temping at an unemployment agency and they close early in the afternoon." it was her turn to laugh. "Maybe I can hook you up."

He rubbed his eyes. "That won't be necessary." He sighed. "I'm going to try to get my job back tomorrow. Tonight I just want to relax. I haven't relaxed in over two years."

Kory took a sip of his beer. "Well your not going to do it in here. I know this great place. We can take the bus back uptown and, do you have a car? Never mind we don't need a car, we can take the bus. It'll be a lot of fun."

Dick was beginning to wonder if this girl was crazy. "You want to take me all the way uptown. You just met me. How do know I'm not a serial killer or a stalker?"

She examined him for a long moment, before shaking her head. "No, you're way to uptight to be a serial killer. And you don't come off as a stalker. And I'm too much fun to be either." he was still skeptical. "C'mon it'll be fun. How many spontaneous moments do you have to run around town with a cute girl. And who knows...maybe you'll get lucky."

Dick laughed. "How can I argue with that."

Dick and Kory got back onto a train that brought them back to uptown Jump. Kory suggested that they take a bus to their destination. Dick insisted that they take his car. On the highway it stopped raining and Dick made Kory promise that she was taking him to some hippy dippy music festival. Most of the car ride consisted of Kory giving Dick directions. It was a long car ride and Kory fell asleep toward the end. He turned up a long road and onto a beach lined with secluded and abandoned summer houses. As it was late March and the weather was still iffy. Dick parked the car on the side of the road. Kory immediately jumped out of the car and began running toward the crashy white water, stripping off her clothes on the way. She left her bra and panties on and jumped head first into the water. Dick slowly walked over the to edge of the water and was careful to not let the water ruin his new leather shoes.

He watched Kory's head bob in and out of the water. The material of the little clothing she had left on stuck to her. "Aren't you getting in?" she called to him at a distance.

"I'm good." he yelled back to her.

"Don't be such a baby!"

He slowly untied his shoes and stuck his feet in the damp sand. He didn't have intentions on getting in the water. He imagined it was freezing cold, and he didn't want to risk illness. He watched Kory for awhile as she ducked under water and came back up. At one point she stayed under longer than she usually would. Dick thought at first that she was messing with him, trying to get him in the water

"Nice try." he called out to her. She didn't back up. That's when he began to worry. "Kory? Kory?"

Without another thought he immediately dove headfirst onto the water, his body in the position of a straight arrow. The iciness of the water stung him like dagger, and the shock overtook him for a moment. He ignored the freezing and rapidly began to feel around for Kory. The water rushed around him and he prayed the current hadn't pushed her away to much. He forced his arm to move as he searched under water for her. His lungs begged for air. He kicked his feet up to the surface and gasped for breath. He saw a tall figure standing on the beach laughing at him. Dick swam back to shore. Kory immediately began to run, but he ran after her. He gently tackled her into the hard sand the two laughing on the way down. Dick let his hold around Kory linger. He stared into her big green eyes. Their laughter subsided and they stared into each other's eyes, two practical strangers. Maybe it was heat of the moment, maybe it was the fact that hardly knew each other, hell maybe it was the fact that they were laying half naked and soaking wet in each others arm but somehow they connected. And they kissed.

After a long moment of intense and passionate kissing, Kory broke apart from him. She stood up and stumbled through the sand and grabbed her clothes. "Well, hurry up it's freezing out here."

Kory lead Dick to one of the empty summer houses. She stomped up the splintered stairs, and was alighted to find the door unlocked. Dick hesitated. "Uh I don't think we should be going in there." he yelled from the front door. "We don't know who lives here."

Kory reappeared in the front door. "No one is here. And it's not like we're stealing and since the door wasn't locked it's not breaking and entering. It's just trespassing. Besides it's cold outside, and about to rain. We'll just stay until our clothes dry."

Dick reluctantly agreed but still wasn't completely comfortable with staying inside of a stranger's house. He tossed his and Kory's clothes inside a dryer between the living room and the kitchen. There were two his and hers bathrobes hanging above the dryer. He pulled one off the hanger and pulled it on. She made his way up the stairs to where Kory was. She was laying on the bed in the master bedroom. He handed her the other bathrobe. She groggily pulled it on. Dick laid down beside her and listened to the sound of rain pattering against the window.

"What are you thinking about, Tim?" Kory asked.

Dick looked at her confused. He looked down at his bathrobe, on the left chest side was the Tim embroidered in blue letters. He laughed. "Nothing really -Betty. Just how I'm going to get my job back."

She yawned and rolled over. "Worry about it tomorrow.

And that's just what he did. The next morning Dick and Kory woke up and snuck out of the house. Kory requested that Dick stop at her apartment. Just like the previous day Dick complied without much question or objection. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, yawed, and glanced at his watch. A tap on the window startled him. A red haired man, with five o'clock shadow was leaning over the driver's side. Dick cautiously rolled down the window. There was a moment of silence between the two.

"Can I help you?" The red head asked, as touch of unexpected desperation laced his voice.

Dick stared at him for a moment confused. His first thought was that this guy was either homeless or crazy. "No." he answered curtly.

The redhead stood up and glanced momentary at Kory's apartment building. He sighed a visible cloud in the gray winter sky. "Ok." he said standing up. He turned around an began walking in the opposite direction.

Dick was perplexed by the encounter, but didn't tread on it for too long. Kory swung the passenger side open. She was clad in new clothes, with a pile of mail clasped in her hands.

* * *

It was late at night.

Dick had to pull over to the side of the rode, because in his current state of mind he was in no condition to drive. He needed a minute. He couldn't believe how bad things had gotten, that it would come to something completely desperate and strange. He sat with the car running listening to Cryin' for over an hour. He almost wanted to cry. Almost. He pulled himself together long enough to pull his car onto the icy road. He pressed the eject button and pulled the mix tape Kory had made him Christmas and tossed it out the window. He hoped a very large eight-teen wheeler would come along shortly and crush it into a thousand and one pieces.

He thought about it long and hard. He wanted this, he was sure. Wasn't he? He sped up to avoid all the red lights. Anything to avoid be alone and left to think. Left to reconsider what he was about to do. It was crazy after all. He pulled his volvo into the parking lot at his condo. He could see the white van sitting across the street. He hopped out of his car and stood staring at the white van, the undeniable and visual proof this was all really happening. He could see the dark figures waiting in the van. One of them waved to him.

He ignored them and walked up the walkway to his front steps. He pulled the mail out of his mailbox, and pushed his keys into the lock. When he was safely inside he looked out the window back at the van. They were still waiting. He left the door unlocked and looked at the tightly wrapped package in his arms, from Luneca Inc. He quickly went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He was trying hard to convince himself this was what he wanted. He did he really did. He ripped open the package and pulled out the blue pajamas. He slid into them and read the instructions on the side of the prescription pill bottle. He let the two tiny white pills lay flat in his hand.

He stared at them for awhile. After this there was no going back. It was permanent. Is this what he really wanted? He just needed the pain to stop. He remembered the hurtful things she had said to him, and without another thought he put the pills in his mouth and swallowed. He made his way over to the lamp in the living room. He switched it off. The signal. He stumbled toward the pull out couch in the living room. The room was spinning and his vision doubled. Those pills were strong. He was unconscious before he was all the way under the covers.

He could hear the heavy footsteps as the came into his house. He saw blurry images of them hovering around him, setting up equipment, asking questions he could no longer answer. Recent memories were becoming blurry. He felt a heavy helmet like thing being attached to his wanted this he did. But if that were the case why was his heart beating so fast? Why was he starting to panic? He was sure this was what he wanted. It was.

Right?

* * *

The words she had said to him, broke him. He remembered thinking about just the week before. He even week out a bought her a Valentine's Day gift. A new art set. It was pretty pricey than any other gift he'd bought her and he'd be eating canned soup for the rest of the week, but he just wanted to tell that he loved her and that he was sorry. He could take all the blame. He could. He just wanted her back for things to go back to normal. He remembered going into Hallmark Co. to do some last minute business, and she must have been temping there.

"Can I help?" she said as if she never met him.

Dick stared at her blankly. What was she pulling at? Then a younger man that was probably working there, leaned into Kory.

"Are we still on for tonight?" he asked her.

Her eyes were still on Dick. "Of course." she told him. Then she directed himself to Dick. "Let me know if you need anything."

For the rest of the day he couldn't think, his mind was racing. She was trying to hurt him. She wanted to, and it worked. He kept going back to that guy and pretending she didn't know him. How could she be so cruel. He knew they didn't break up on good terms, but prior to that everything had been almost heavenly. It distracted him while he was work, and on the train ride back uptown. When he got to his car he just stared at the steering wheel. He still loved Kory, so why didn't she? Driving like a mad man he drove to the only person who could think for him right now. When he got to Raven's house she handed him a beer. He was too upset to drink it and just paced around.

Raven watched him from her kitchen counter. "Dick, stop you're making me dizzy."

"How could she do this to me? You should have seen the guy she was with. Fucking jail bait. He must have been right out of high school." he sat on the stair with his head in his hands. His sighed deeply. "All of this because I decided to be honest with her. I don't think I'll ever love a woman again. I fall in love and end up getting my fucking heart ripped out. You know what, love doesn't exist. It doesn't. It's all a game and we all play each other and in the end someone ends up loosing."

Raven sighed. She slid off the counter and walked over to Dick. She took a seat next to him and stared at the front door. There was a long moment of silence. She sighed again. "Okay Dick, I could loose my job for telling you this, but..." she tried to find the right way to say it. "Do you know what I do? For a living?"

He looked at her confused. "All I know for sure is that you work downtown at Luneca Inc., but I don't know what the hell they do."

"Well," she started slowly. "What it is, is we...erase memories."

"Erase memories?"

"Sometimes living with the memories are too painful. Sometimes people just want to forget, and that's what we do. We take away all the memories that disable our clients from being able to move on. Then when they are gone, they can just get on with their lives. Sometimes forgetting is just better. Well, anyways, I'm really not suppose to tell you this because of client, doctor confidentiality, but...last week Kory came in. " he looked at her blankly. "Dick, she got you erased from her memories."

Dick just stared at her for a long agonozing minute. She waited as he said nothing. "Yeah. Ha ha Raven, very funny."

She gave him a serious look. "Dick..."

Suddenly he jumped up. "What! No! You can't be serious."

Raven's hand twitched before she pulled what appeared to be a postcard adressed to her. She handed it to Dick. His azure eyes swept over the words.

**Dear Ms. Raven Roth**

**Please be informed that Kory Anders has had all memories of Richard "Dick" Grayson erased from her mind.  
Please refrain from ever mentioning said person that s/he has voluntary elected to have erased as s/he  
no longer wishes to remember said person. We appreciate your full cooperation and participation.**

**With Regards,  
Luneca Inc. **

He began pacing rapidly. He stopped and plopped down on the couch. Raven handed him his unopened beer, this time he accepted. He twisted the cap off and gulped down half the bottle is one swig. He felt a never ending depression washing over him. His chest ached. There was a literal pain in his heart, it was really broken. He took a few panicking deep breaths. Did she really hate him so much that she would just erase him. Just get rid of him, like he didn't mean anything to her. He could just be forgotten and replaced. That was so much worse than anything she could have said or done. It was worse than pretending that she didn't know him.

She really didn't.

* * *

Raven was able to pull a few strings and get Dick an appointment with Dr. Slade, the head of Luneca Inc. It was a few days before Valentine's Day, the busiest time of the year. The earlist she was able to schedule him was two days after he had learned that Kory erased him. He had no intentions at all, he just wanted learn about how the process worked. Raven was unable to tell him too much for risk of getting fired. He called in sick and went down town, into the tiny office building. It was like tiny waiting room. Raven was sitting behind the reception desk, filing out paperwork and taking a phone call.

"...no that offer expired after the new year...I don't think we'll be able to schedule you until early March...no, no Valentine's Day is our busiest time..." she put the phone against her shoulder and directed herself to Dick. "Hey, how are you?" she handed his a clipboard with a document attached to it. "Just fill out this form."

Dick hesistantly grabbed the clipboard and took a seat in a hard plastic chair next to a crying woman holding a box of dog stuff labeled, Buddy. Dick ignored her, and began to fill out the form. It was basic information. Age, gender, name. The it asked stranger questions like to list any mental ailments, or past trips to psychological recovery centers (AKA the looney bin). Dick filled out no, signed the consent and wager form, and handed it back to Raven. She told him the doctor would be call him momentarily. He wondered what type of doctor this guy was. A neurosurgeon perhaps? What kind of doctor erased peoples memories for living, in a shady little building in the center of Jump City?

Finally his name was called by a man with white hair wearing a whit lab coat with a name tag that read Dr. Slade. Dick hopped out of his seat and followed him into the back. There were several doors down the narrow hallway, all which were shut. Dick followed Slade into the last room. It resembled a doctor's office, except the walls were wooden and there weren't any fancy medical equpiment. Dick took a sat in the chair across from the doctor. Slade eyed him suspiciously with his one eye. Dick pretended not to notice.

"So, Mister..." he glanced at his form. "Grayson, where did you hear about us from?"

"Uh," Dick said. He didn't want to get Raven in any trouble. "Well, I saw an ad in the paper." he prayed they did ads.

Dr. Slade nodded approvingly. Dick internally sighed with relief. "Now what can I erase for you today?" Dr. Slade asked.

Dick was pretty sure he was trying to make a joke. "Well," he started. "I- I think I want to...erase my ex girlfriend. We broke up awhile ago but I can't seem to get over it. I've seen her around dating other guys and it's making everything so much harder on me. I just want to move on."

Okay so "awhile" was some what of a stretch, it was only three weeks ago. And he had only seen her around once, dating one other guy, and he really just wanted revenge for erasing him. He couldn't tell the doctor any of this. He didn't know if there were some psychological evaluation he needed to pass in order to be accepted for this procedure. Maybe this was a test. See if some nut really wanted to have people erased from their memory. That's how they lured the crazies in. If this were a test surely he had failed. Any moment now the men in white would burst through the door and drag him away to the mental institute. He deserved as much wanting to erase the only woman he'd ever loved. It was all so maddening.

Dr. Slade watched him patiently. "Yes, we have that request most often around this time of year. Let me explain to you exactly what we'll need from you in order for use to help you. First of all you'll need to collect every item in your possession of your ex girlfriend-"

"Kory." Dick finished.

"Pictures, video, gifts, clothing, anything that you can connect to her. We will use these items in the Navigation room, to draw a map of her in your memory, so that way when the process begins we can target only those that contain Kory and not accidentally obliterate your twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas or anything like that. After our staff members will incinerate the items, so there is no confusion about how they came into your possession. You will wake up like you would with any hangover except Kory will cease to be anyone important to you. Any questions?"

"Uh, will this have any side effects, or-cause brain damage."

"Well, this procedure essentially _is_ brain damage." Dr. Slade answered. "And there are no side effects that won't be associated with a night of drinking."

Dick sighed and stood up. The ride home was hazy at best. He didn't remember anything from the office back to his apartment. It was a like a dream-a nightmare. He grabbed a trash bag from underneath the kitchen sink, and began to shove all of Kory's things that she had left behind into it. Her hairbrush, a sweater, a picture he had drawn of her. He was hesitant in putting the picture in the bag. Is this something he really wanted? Yes. He stuffed it in without another thought with the rest of her forgotten memorabilia.

He checked high and low. Underneath the bed, in desk drawers, in the closet. He filled two heavy boxes with everything that reminded him of Kory and returned to Luneca. Dr. Slade didn't look at the stuff. He directed Dick into a room called the "Mapping Room". There was a small man with blonde hair wearing a white lab coat on top regular civilian wear. He looked oddly familiar, but Dick couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey." the man said sticking out his hand which Dick accepted as a handshake. "My name is Garfield Logan, but you can call me Gar. Have a seat right up here."

Dick sat in chair that looked liked the one at the dentists. A giant brain scan machine was placed on his head. Gar explained that he would show him one the items from his apartment and Dick would focus nonverbally on the memory. From this they would create a map of his mind, and target the intended memories to be destroyed.

"We a lot of work to do if we want to get this done tonight." Gar said. He placed a snowglobe that Kory had bought from their weekend trip in Boston last spring.

Dick remembered smiling as she rummaged through a tiny, old souvenir shop on the Boston pier. Suddenly green dots appeared on a screen with a picture of his brain. "Got it." Gar said typing something into the computer. This process continued. Dick tried to focus on how much better he would be once this was all over. Soon he told himself. How cruel was it to just erase her, like she never mattered to him.

But after all: she started it. So why did matter to him anyways?

* * *

Dick felt a strange sensation. He was conscious but unconscious.

He was fully aware that he was asleep and that there were strangers hovering above his sleeping forms setting up machines and messing with his mind, his memories. He was standing in Dr. Slade's office in the mapping room, watching _himself _recalling memories of Kory while Gar drew a map of his mind. No one seemed to be aware of his presence. Dick looked on in silent fascination and horror.

"So this is really happening." Dick said to himself.

The memories began to blend together. Him in the mapping room and then him walking into the clinic, while Raven greeted him from the desk. Faces began to blur and voices became inaudible before they ceased to exist. Dick found himself in a completely different scene. He couldn't tell if this were a memory or reality. This he remembered clearly, too clearly. The fact that he was living it, rather than reliving it, told him this was a memory.

He was driving the car, Kory was silent beside him. There was unbearably tension and silent. "Are you alright?" he dared to ask her.

"Fine." she said rather bitingly.

He glanced at her. "You're not okay."

She looked at him annoyed. "Don't fucking do that. You always fucking do that! You think you always know what's going on, and you don't. It's so fucking annoying."

"Well then why don't you tell me what's wrong Kory." His tone was condescending, and his temper was rising.

The words got caught in Kory's throat. "I saw you fucking hitting on that girl. Your ex girlfriend."

"Jesus Kory. How many fucking times do I have to tell you Barbara is just a friend. For God's sake we haven't dated since high school. It was almost ten years ago."

Kory crossed her arms over her chest and huffed out the window. Her glaze glared out the window. Dick shook his head disapprovingly. The ride was becoming increasingly tense. Dick stood his ground. He knew she was being irrational and couldn't let her win this one. She'd break first, she always did. They arrived home. Dick silently unlocked the door. Kory pushed past him and stomped around his apartment. She flicked on the light in the kitchen. Dick heard her scoff and suck her teeth.

He took off his jacket and tossed it on the chair in the living room. He groaned and sat down in the easy chair. Kory appeared before him with a sweeter look on his face. He watched her movements keeping his face stoic. She stood in front of him and hitched up her dress before straddling his waist. She pressed her forehead against his. Their lips met in forgiving ecstasy. Dick's fingers quickly tangled themselves in her hair. Her lips were like rose petals. Her scent was sweet.

His hands dropped to her waist and slipped to her thighs before snaking underneath of her dress. His hand lingered on her pantyline when his finger got caught in a hole. His eyes snapped opened. Before she could respond he pulled his lips off of her and pushed the hem of her dress up.

"Have you been fucking other guys?" his voice was incredilous.

She looked at him guilty. She slid from his lap and turned her back to him. He became enraged. He said her name over and over, growing in fury every time she failed to respond. She turned back to him. "Yes."

Dick stared her his mouth slightly open. He was speechless. She waited in silence while he slid back into his seat. "Will you be honest with me?" he asked calmly.

"Yes." she answered.

"Why?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "Because I love you." she answered. Her caught the reluctance in her tone.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

"I don't know."

"Are you bored with me?" Kory was such a free spirit, it was one of the things he loved most about her. The complete opposite of himself. It also caused her to be impulsive, easily bored, dangerous. That terrified him.

"Yes." she answered slowly.

Dick gave a small condescending laugh and shook his head. "Why did let me fall in love with you then? Why did you just string me along for all these years and then just..." his voiced trailed off. God, he was so mad. "Why did you do it?"

"I don't know." her own voice was rising.

"Yes you do." he said. "Why?"

She sighed indifferently. She wanted to spare his feelings, she really did, but she didn't know what to say. That for the first time she was really in love and that scared her. That she intentionally fucked things up so that she wouldn't have to take the risk? "You're too-"

"Don't say I'm too good for you." Dick cut her off. "_I am_, but don't say it. Why didn't you just tell me when we first walked in the door? Why- did you let me hang out to dry for your amusement."

Kory's eyes wavered. The guilt was overpowering. "I-I was scared."

"You're a coward. You spoiled bitch." Dick stood up from his seat. Kory flinched. There was a long moment of silence. "Was he better than me?"

"Don't do this." Her tone was not begging.

"Was he better than me?" he repeated.

She sighed. "Different."

He crossed the room so that he was standing directly in front of her. He wanted their eyes to meet. He wanted to see the guilt, he deserved as much. "Different how?"

"He's more gentle." she squeaked.

Now he was offended. He flexed his hands in attempts to control his anger. "Are you saying I treat you like a whore?" It was a statment rather than a question.

"Sometimes." she answered honestly.

Dick would never forget what he said next. The angry, scalding words that left his mouth. "I wonder why that is."

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Kory's eyes widened. Her jaw snapped shut. Without another word Kory stormed into the bathroom. Dick ran his hands over the back of his head. When Kory returned she was holding a bag stuffed with clothing and a few snacks. She tossed her house keys on the table.

"I won't be needing these anymore." she said angrily. Kory whipped open the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Dick immediately lept up to follow her. Kory was already half way up the hallway. "Kory, please." he pleaded with her, closely following her. "That was stupid I'm sorry. I-I was just mad- annoyed. I don't know-"

She stepped out of the lobby into the cold winter night. The cold penetrated Dick like knives through his shirt. He hesistated at the door watching her harsh steps move further and further out of view. Further and further out of his life. Dick took slow steps out of the door, watching her auburn hair flying in the wind.

"Kory!" he screamed up the street.

She didn't turn. She didn't even falter.

_"So Raven's coming over tonight." _Dick heard Garfield's voice someone. It was loud and clear as if he were speaking on a megaphone. Dick searched the sky for the source of the voice. This must have been how Moses felt when he was summoned by God. They were there, around him, talking around him. He was real, Dick realized, he was real in this memory. It wasn't a memory he was...reliving it.

_"I like Raven, I just don't think she likes me." _said an unrecognizable voice. _"Maybe I should invite my girlfriend over. You know I have a girlfriend now." _

_"Uh, Roy we need to focus here." _Gar sounded completely uninterested.

_"The situation is kind of interesting-between me and my girlfriend._" Roy continued. _"You know that girl we did last week-Kory? Well I thought she was kind of hot so I looked at her file, went to her job, and asked her out." _

Garfield scoffed. _"That sounds completely unethical, and don't tell Raven when she gets here. This guy is her friend, and you're dating his ex girlfriend. It will just piss her off." _

Dick bolted to where his car was parked and fumbled to find his keys in his pocket. His shaky hands struggled to unlock the doors. As soon as he was in the car he jammed the key into the ignition and pressed hard on the gas pedal sending the car absconding up the street. He slowed when he was caught with Kory. He rolled down the window. "Kory, please let me take you home."

"Fuck off." she replied.

Suddenly a car fell out of the sky. The cars parked next to the sidewalk where Kory was stomping up the street exploded as if invisible thousand pound boulders had been dropped on top of them. Kory continued as if nothing had happened. "It's all falling apart Kory." Dick yelled from the car. "They're erasing you and I'm happy about it."

He pulled the car over to the side, not bothering to turn it off or shut the door. He followed Kory up the street. "Do you hear me? You'll be gone by tomorrow. The perfect ending to this piece of shit story!"ind

Suddenly the sounds of the memory were becoming less and less distinguished and the sounds around him were becoming more and more distinct. He could no longer hear the sound of the snow crunching under Kory's boots or sizzle of his running engine. Dick stopped in his tracks. The buildings up the street were fading. The memory was being erased. Dick was abruptly unable to recall the events that had just transpired.

_"Do you have any unethical that is?_" Garfield's voice sounded annoyed. _"You took advantage of one of our clients. Those files are confidential. We have a code of ethics to adhere to." _

The one known as Roy scoffed. _"Don't be such a boy scout." _

Dick closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes he was no longer standing in the middle of the street. He was back in his living room. He was seated on the couch and a rerun of I Love Lucy was playing out on the television. Kory materialized from the bathroom with a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Her dress was pulled down to her waist exposing a racy amount of her hefty bosom and lace, black bra. Dick recognized this memory. It was a few hours before they broke up, before they went to the party.

Dick's mind raced with ways to keep her there, before she was erased. Kory unaware of fate, pulled her jacket on. "I'll be in the car." she said disappearing behind the front door.

Several ornaments hanging on the wall crashed to the floor, and the televison spontaneously combusted. Dick shot up from the couch and threw the door open. "Kory!" he shouted down the hall. Kory was already gone. The hallway became blurry as it faded away. Startled Dick stepped back into apartment. He felt his body freeze.

He body froze several more times as his mind raced through several more exercrable memories of him and Kory. The time they got into an argument at the flea market, the time at Kang's restaurant they sat silently: dine of the dead. It made Dick realize how trite and futile their arguments had been. Were these they reasons they had broken up? Were these the reasons they had both been reduced to erasing each other's memories? Stupid contentions like how many kids they both to have, or when Dick was going to get around to cleaning out the closet?

It really was stupid. Maybe they weren't meant to be together. Maybe this was for the best.

Kory was now laying next to Dick underneath of the blankets. She was on her stomach while he was on his back. "Dick?" Kory asked him softly. "I love you." she sighed softly.

Dick stared at her for a moment. He pulled her so her torso on his chest. He kissed her neck and peckered kisses up to her lips. "I love you." he whispered.

"Do you promise?"

He pressed his lips against forehead. "I promise." he whispered.

"Forever?"

"Forever." He promised.

He opened his eyes from the bliss and Kory was gone. "No." he moaned in agony. He crawled under the sheets trying to catch her. He didn't want to forget. "Please let me have this one. Just this one."

At that moment the past didn't mean a damn to him. All the fighting and arguing he couldn't even remember what they were about. Was it because, his memories were being erased? He could still feel Kory's warm body on his chest, smell the cinnamon in her hair. No. He couldn't remember because, it didn't matter. All the pain and horrors of their relationship didn't obliterate these tender moments. These moments and memories were the only ones that mattered, because love conquered all.

He could still hear Kory's voice in his ear. _"Do you promise? Forever?" _

"I promise." he whispered as his world of bliss faded into nothingness and he began to forget.

* * *

I have been working on this for well over a year. Many versions of this had been written. This particular chapter was started last summer.


	2. Past

(sighs) College tours, applications, job hunting, summer homework... all the things I should be doing right now.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything yada yada

* * *

_**No fly me, fly me, far as pole from pole.  
****Rise Alps between us! and whole oceans roll!  
Ah, come not, write not, once of me,  
Nor share one pang of all I felt for thee.**_

Garfield hopped up to answer the door when it rang. "Hey." Raven greeted him. She very visibly scowled when she saw Roy. "Oh, hey Roy."

Raven examined Dick's unconscious body laying on the bed. She shook her head disapprovingly before turning back to Garfield and Roy. She smiled at Garfield and sighed. "Isn't Dr. Slade amazing." she said quizzically. "I mean...when people are babies they're new and innocent and then everyone grows up to be miserable and sad and depressed, but he takes it all away. It's like being born again. Being given a second chance."

Roy snickered which he managed to transform into a cough when Raven cut him a dirty look. Garfield smiled apologetically. "I know what your saying."

She pulled up a chair and watched the machine as it ravaged through Dick's subconscious. "I couldn't image what it must feel like to love someone so much that having them never exist would be better than living with the pain."

Both Garfield and Roy exchanged inconspicuous looks around Raven. There was a moment of silence. Roy was grateful for the ringing of his cellphone to break the awkward tension. "Hey babe what's up?...No, I...okay but I'm kind of in the middle of something right-...yes, but...yes, but I'm like working right now...I'd love to but, what you just want me to leave work?...No, that's not what I'm saying...look I didn't mean it like...alright...yeah, I'm on my way."

Roy hung up with a sigh. Garfield shot him a somewhat concerned glance. "What's up?"

Roy shrugged. "It's my girlfriend, she's really upset. Would you mind if I cut out of here early, I mean you can handle it."

"Sure." Garfield agreed. Raven scoffed before turning her attention back to the machine. Roy promptly flipped her off as he left through the front door.

Roy tugged up the collar of his jacket to protect his ears against the windchill. He jogged over to his car, and prepared for the drive back to Kory's house. He couldn't help but think of what Raven said about love. Yeah, he could agree that heartbreak was an interesting thing.

After all: she would know.

* * *

Dick weaved around the endless white walls and tables of the Paramount art gallery. They were bizarre tangles of disembodied heads and portraits of Japanese anime characters. There was an alleged theme, but he couldn't tell what it was. It didn't matter to him. His eyes kept going back to Kory. She put on a fake smile and pretended to carefully and thoughtfully analyze each piece when the artist or a critic was around, then turn around and snicker under her breath as soon as they left.

It was past eleven, and all the other patrons had left well over an hour ago. The artists were hanging out in the lounge smoking and drinking champagne out of odd glasses shaped like a pair of hands. Kory and Dick were alone in the gallery. They had both had a little bit too much to drink, and found the painting they were currently staring at hysterical.

"Is it a pelican or a school bus?" Dick gasped.

She lost her step and fell backwards slightly. She grabbed the front of Dick's shirt to stabilize herself. Her back fell against the wall and Dick fell against her. There they were, eyes locked together. They could hear the sound of each others breath in their ear and fell it on their lips. It was completely silent sans the indie rock playing softly from the ceiling Bose system. Dick leaned in and pressed his lips somewhat forcefully onto Kory's.

Her arms snaked around his neck, and he pulled her up by the torso. They had known each other for four weeks, and there they were completely embraced with one another. Slowly reluctantly Kory pulled away. "Dick." she whispered.

Suddenly the room disappeared, and completely darkness surrounded them. A spotlight was on them. Dick's heart lept in his chest. "Oh no."

He grabbed Kory's hand and began to run blindly. "We have to get away from here." he told Kory, trying to expel the panic from his voice.

"What's going on?" he heard her ask from behind him.

They were coming! They were going to take her away from him! Dick squeezed Kory's hand for reassurance. The sounds of their pounding footsteps and heavy breathing filled the darkness. He felt like Orpheus running out of hell. He stopped realizing the futality of what he was doing. Suddenly Kory's hand was pulled from him and she disappeared into the darkness.

"No!" Dick yelled running toward the spot where she had disappeared.

She was gone, there was nothing there except for a door. Dick's trembling fingers wrapped around the brass doorknob. It still tingled from where Kory's hand had been not a moment ago. He slowly opened the door to find a nature scene, which seemed oddly familiar. He was in another memory he knew. This was their hike in the Poconos last October. Dick stepped fully into the scene.

"Kory?" he called cautiously.

There was nothing except for barren trees and high hills. Dick turned around to find that the door he had come out of was gone. "Kory?" he called again. "They're going to erase you. Where are you?"

A sudden pile of crunchy leaves fall on top of his head. "I'm right here." Kory said jumping out from behind him.

Usually Dick found this type of behavior in Kory adorable, but right now he was panicking. "Kory, focus. I hired them. It was stupid and I'm sorry, but they are coming to erase you."

Kory continued down the dirt path up the hill. "Just calm down. Enjoy the scenery."

Dick ran to catch up to her, and grabbed her hand. He just wanted to keep her there. He looked into her eyes pleadingly. "Kory, please. We have to find a way to stop this before I wake up and I don't know you anymore. I want to known you."

Kory sighed sympathetically and leaned against a tree. She was as perplexed as he was. "Well," she started. "Why don't you wake yourself up?"

He shot her an annoyed glance. "Kory, how can I wake up? I'm sleeping."

Kory rolled her eyes before tackling Dick to the ground. Dick squirmed momentarily. "K-Kory, c'mon we don't have time for this."

Kory sat straddled on top of him. "Dick, those eraser people are coming. They will be here any second and you don't have a lot of options. So can you stop being so fucking stubborn and just try it."

Dick stared at her reluctantly. Kory scoffed before reaching above Dick's head and pulling his eyelids open. At first Dick had highly irritated, but then his eyes rolled back. The scene changed. Although his vision was blurry he could see Raven somewhere in the distance. She was with that eraser guy- Glenn, was it? He tried to call out to her, but his voice was stuck in his head. His nerves were virtually paralyzed. He had to get her attention somehow, this wouldn't last long. Soon his eyes, which were only able to squint open, fell back down and brought him back into unconsciousness. He was back with Kory in the woods.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I-I can't believe it." he started wildly. "I was awake!"

"You were!"

"Well, momentarily. Raven was there and I tried to get her attention but I couldn't talk or move." he sighed as frustration numbed his senses. "There has to be another way. There has to be an escape or a distraction or something. Just until morning or until the sleeping pills wear off enough for me to wake up."

"Maybe there is." Kory suggested optimistically. She was always optimistic. "There's a loophole to everything. If we can find it we can outsmart them."

Dick stared at her incredulously. "And how do you suppose we do that."

Kory threw her arms up dramatically. "Well, I don't know. I'm not the one who walked into a clinic to zap my brain."

Dick was about to beg to differ but decided against it. How was the process done? He couldn't remember. Had they already erased that memory? _Think! Think! Think! _He took deep breaths to avoid sending his mind to panic. He just had to relax and allow it to come to him. That morning he had gone into...Luneca! Yes, it was a vague memory but he could force it into full recollection. Nurture a spark into a flame. Was Raven there? He tried to recall, pushing his mind back to that morning. He could see Raven at the reception desk, she was busy taking a call. She looked up at him and said-

_"Hey, how are you?" _

Suddenly it all came crashing back to him like the tide against the sand. He jumped up. His heart was racing in his chest and his stomach lurched with excitement. "I remember. I-I got all my things that reminded me of you." he spoke quickly. There was no telling how much time they had left here. "They made a map locating all the memories of you, and they are following it to erase you one memory at a time."

Kory jumped up too. "That's it! You can take me to a memory where I don't originally come from. That way we jump off the map and they can't find us. We can hide there until the morning."

Dick's jaw dropped. It was too perfect for words. His mind was reeling with anxiety. It was hard to think with so much happening around him. "I can't remember a time without you."

"That's very sweet, but you have to try."

They would be here soon. Any second, he could feel it. Let's see he met Kory three years ago, which meant- "My childhood! I didn't know you then."

He focused on the memory. His most vivid childhood memory, before he was adopted. He was at the circus park. He could never forget this. The crisp November air redenned his cheeks, and the crunchy leaves piled around the big tent. His queer circus family of clowns and tight rope walker smiled down on him. The bearded lady slipped him a candied apple, even though it was before supper. Dick caught an image of himself in the elephant's water tough. He was six years old, in his first spandex outfit. Dick was momentarly stunned. A little girl with missing front teeth and unruly red hair materialized at his side.

"Wow." Dick said finally. He ran his hand down her braided pigtail. "It worked."

A thundercloud clapped overhead, and before anyone could say torrential downpour, rain poured over them like angels over heaven. People began to frantically take shelter in their trailers and under tents. Dick glazed upward at the dark gray clouds and his clothes stuck to him like a second skin. It was so freeing. He held his arms out and laughed. He allowed his childhood innocence to engulf him completely.

Kory was right beside him. She stuck her tongue out and blinked back the water in her eyes. She squealed when Dick frog hopped into a puddle and mud drenched the front of her tutu. In retaliation she tackled him to the ground. They were both completely covered in mud and sopping wet. Dick's mother pulled back the windows of her trailer and gazed with a concern look. Dick and Kory looked up from where they were rolling around on ground to wave at her reassuringly. They were alright.

They were both wet. They were both shivering. They were both innocent.

They were both completely happy.

* * *

Roy pulled up to Kory's house to find all the lights off. He briefly wondered if she had gone to bed before he had a chance to get over there. Glancing at the time flashing on his dashboard he came to the conclusion that Kory would never be in bed this early. It wasn't even midnight yet. When Kory called she sounded so upset. Instead of being immensely concerned he was rather annoyed. Kory was fun and different and beautiful beyond compare, but she was also moody, emotional, spontaneous, and often sophomoric.

He climbed up the stairs and knocked on Kory's door. She answered it immediately. Her eyes were red from crying and her nose was running. She disappeared into her darkened apartment. Roy timidly stepped in and shut the door behind him.

"Kory, what's wrong?" he asked following her into the living room.

Kory fell onto the couch, wiping her nose on a Kleenex. "I don't know. I don't know. I'm confused, I'm falling apart, I'm getting old, I feel like I'm disappearing." Her voice became muffled as she fell against a pillow.

Roy took a reluctant seat next to her and stifled a sigh of annoyance. "C'mon Kor. You're not getting old."

"Nothing makes any sense to me. Nothing makes any sense to me." She repeated as Roy pulled her against him in attempts to console her. "Hey you want to go out to a movie." she said after awhile. "You want to go out to Blüdhaven with me?"

"Yeah okay." he replied quizzically, as if she weren't being serious. "We can go this weekend."

She pulled away from him. "No, no. We have to go now. I have to get out of here."

Before Roy even had a chance to argue Kory was in the other room looking for her coat. Roy sighed dejectedly. Keeping up with her was a challenge and a half, and he often wondered if he was in over his head with her. Still there was something about her that got him on the red eye train out to Blüdhaven. Kory was sitting next to him, watching the city lights flash by. When the train departed Kory pulled Roy through the frozen, silent city without so much as a word as to where they were going. Roy was beginning to think she was crazy. Finally she found what she was looking for: the Paramount. She had read about it in the newspaper a couple days ago.

It was like utopia, she was with reason suppose to be there. The college age kid at the entrance stamped a crooked "P" on both of their hands before allowing them to enter. Roy attempted to hold Kory's hand but she immediately dropped it. It was a touch that burned and left a scorching in her chest. Kory quickly weaved up the isles and around the walls without really paying attention to what was painted on the canvases. They were like everything in her life: plain, boring, ordinary, beige.

One painting did manage to stop her in her tracks. It wasn't good or beautiful, hell it could barely be called art. But there it was hanging by a rusty nail on a plain white wall. It was cold, calculating. It filled her with an eerie sense of déjà vu. It was taunting her. Her throat closed and her stomach tightened. She felt dizzy. She needed to sit down.

Suddenly Roy appeared at her side. He took one look at the painting, and starting laughing. She felt like everyone in the room was laughing at her. "Is it a pelican or a school bus."

__

"Is it a pelican or a school bus."

The voice echoed through her head. Bile was threatening to rise in her throat. Roy face suddenly tightened with concern. "Kory are you alright." He put his hand on her shoulder.

She pulled away instantly. Oh it burned. "I-I'm fine." she lied. "I-I have to use the bathroom, I'll be right back."

She stumbled away. It was too crowded in there. She couldn't breathe. All the people there...she blended in. _I'm disappearing. I'm disappearing. _It was so frustrating and unexplainable. She felt like a part of her was missing. Like she woke up one day and her soul was split in half. Her mind was constantly filled with the agony of not knowing. She needed to forget. She needed to get out of there. She needed some fucking air.

She fell into the outside courtyard. The kid that was working admission was off smoking in the corner. He barely glanced at her. The chilly February air filled her lungs, her swimming mind was beginning to clear. She turned and looked back at the Paramount. There was no way she could go back in there. Her mind was so thoroughly incomplete. She began to take rapid steps further and further away from the Paramount, further and further away from Roy and the utter confusion.

She wanted so desperately to remember, but right now she needed to forget.

* * *

Raven sat in a chair on the far side of the room, with half a drunken glass of beer in her hand. She watched Garfield talk on his cell phone from across the room. She could barely make out what he was saying. She admired him. The way his shoulders hunched over and shook when he talked. Raven had harbored secret feelings for him, since the first day she started working there. She knew in her heart he didn't know she existed let alone that she was hopelessly in love with him. She accepted the fact that her feelings would be kept inconspicuous, and she tried to ignore the hole it burned in her heart. The hole only seemed to getter wider over time. She greatly enjoyed these moments that were spent alone when she could pretend it were a love affair.

"...yeah I should be done in about an hour. Can you pick me up. Thanks, bye." he said snapping his phone shut.

He leaned back in his chair and yawned. His eye stung and he tried to rub the exhaustion out of his eyes. A few minutes of sleep was all he needed. He had done this procedure well over one hundred and was yet to mess up. Besides if anything went wrong Raven was there. Sure she'd royally kick his ass if he decided to screw up for the first time on one of her closest friends but what were the odds of that happening. Just as he was getting comfortable the machine beeped.

His eyes snapped open. "What the hell." he said louder than he intended.

"What?" Raven said suddenly interested.

She took a seat next to him. There was a map of Dick's brain on the screen. Garfield typed in a code. "The machine shut off."

Raven sat silently as Gar ignored her for the next few minutes. She was just a receptionist and not familiar with the technical stuff. Was this something that happened often? If so then why did Garfield seem so anxious? Gar glanced at Raven and saw her look of perplexity. He pointed to Dick's brain on the computer.

"This is a map of his brain. All the memories that are being targeted are highlighted and then disappear when they are erased." he leaned in closer. "Somehow the memories have disappeared off the map."

"Has that ever happened before?" she asked.

"No, never." he mumbled under his breath.

He typed in a few codes and cursed. Then a red dot lighted up on the screen. "There you are. I don't understand why he was off the map like that." Garfield said relief etching his voice.

His clicked the dot and dragged it back to the map. All the targeted memories lit up again.

"Got it."

* * *

Dick cursed very very loudly and slammed his hands onto the steering wheel. They had found them. "God damn it!"

"Shh." Kory leaned in closer to him. "The movie is not that bad."

They were at the drive in from last summer. The air was humid and the car was stuffy, because the air conditioning broke two weeks prior and didn't have enough money to fix it. Kory suggested they merely roll down the windows. Even though the teenagers in the car next to them were having sex rather loudly, they were both eaten alive by mosquitoes, and the radio was heavy with static all Dick could remember was the scent of Kory smelling like sweet summer rain and her warm head on his shoulder. Oh he could smell the cucumber and melon in her hair.

He wished he could relax for a moment and let himself get lost in this moment but he knew they would be coming soon. He looked down at Kory whose bright eyes were glued to the screen as she watched Clark Gable wrap his masculine hands around Vivien Leigh's dainty arms ignoring the sounds of the war in the background and standing completely destitute on a barren field. Kory watched on as though nothing was happening, and from her side of the car nothing had. How he envied that.

Dick's mind was racing. He had been able to take Kory into a different memory, which had taken them off the map. He was unsure of how much time had passed but if he could stall just until the morning he could stop this from happening. He was feeling more foolish and desperate. This was the biggest mistake he'd ever made in his life. But he really didn't have time to dread on that right now.

He focused his mind, the way he had before on a different memory. The darkness disappeared and sunshine whipped across the sky. He looked down at his feet and saw red mulch. He was on the playground where he went when he was five. A red cape was wrapped around his neck. Kory was standing next to him wearing a plastic crown. A vicious group of boys was taunting him.

"Ha ha! Dick's got a girlfriend! Dick's got a girlfriend!"

Dick felt anger bubble inside of him and tears well up in his eyes. "Shut up!" he shouted, shoving one of the other boys.

Kory grabbed Dick's hand and began to lead him away. The boys continued to laugh and harass him. "C'mon, Dick." Kory encouraged leading him away.

Dick wiped the tears from his eyes. They ducked under a giant hole rusted in the side of a wire fence. They walked silently, hand in hand down the street. In was God's likeness of innocence. Dick and Kory's child minds began to dissolve into adult maturity.

"I wish I knew you when we were kids." he told her. He stopped her in front of an old ranch style house. "This is my house. _Was _my house." he told her.

This was the only house he'd ever known as a child. Six moths later he'd be on the road with his parents living a life as gypsies and carnies. Bruce's place was more like a museum than a home, not that he didn't build important memories there. He knew it was only temporary but he wished could stay here with Kory in the innocence of childhood. He didn't want to go back to being an adult. He didn't want to wake up not knowing Kory, but he also didn't want to wake up knowing he'd lost her. No matter what he'd be alone.

He held Kory's hand tighter in his. He tried to stay positive, and told himself the eraser guys wouldn't find them there. No, he told himself that they would stay there forever in youth and innocence and love. God help him he believed it. His head told him the lies. He felt the drops of rain begin to fall on top of their small heads. His hand squeezed Kory's hand tighter, and his arms wrapped around her.

Because his heart knew it wouldn't last.

* * *

Gar's mind was reeling. It was so perplexing. Dick had somehow gone off the map. It was the first time anyone had done it. Sure Garfield had corrected the problem rather quickly, but it happened again less than twenty minutes later. He spent the next hour and a half trying to locate him.

"Finally." Garfield said dragging him back to the map.

He was glad to see there were only two more memories left, as they lit up on the screen. The chances of him jumping off the map again were infinitesimal. He leaned back in his chair, rubbed his eyes, and yawned. Raven watched his curiously from across the room, only vaguely concerned with the curious case of her friend. She remained so tacit, while he went on a profanity laced harangue for the past hour, that he nearly forgot that she was there. She slivered over to him, and slid into the seat next to him. Her piercing violet eyes were on him and not the computer screen. Garfield was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"It's weird." Her satin voice started casually, though echoing with allure. "This situation with my friend reminds me of a poem I read my freshman year of college." she laughed. "Four years of undergraduate school to get me a job as a receptionist. Anyways the poem- It was called _Eloise to Abelard_. Have you ever heard of it?"

Garfield's mind was sending warning signals. He had no way of knowing where she was taking this. How far she was taking it. "Hm? Uh, no."

He shifted uncomfortably, slightly away from her.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "It's weird that you don't know it. I mean working here and seeing this kind of thing everyday. Anyways I took a European literature course in college hoping to satisfy my morbid fascination with unrequited love and erotomania. I fell in love with this poem by Alexander Pope. It's about a young woman and the illicit affair and marriage she has with her professor. Her family extracts revenge on him by castrating him so he joins a monastery and bids that she do the same. Tortured by separation she begs not for forgiveness but for forgetfulness."

Raven finished her story and waited for Gar to respond. He felt much more awake now. _The irony. _He was at a loss for words. They formed in his head, but refused to leave. "That's co-"

He was cut off by the sensation of Raven suddenly pressing her lips against his. His body froze. Raven pulled away as though embarrassed. "I'm sorry." she quickly apologized. "I shouldn't have done that."

Garfield sighed heavily. "Raven you're great and I know it sounds clique but it's not you it's me. It really is. I have a fiancé. You know I have a fiancé."

Her cheeks flushed and hot tears of humiliation burned her eyes. She took a deep breath to stop them. Guilt weld up inside of him. He had long be aware of Raven's affection for him. How could he not. He always seemed to make a mess of things. He tried to close the old wounds. He tried to keep things professional between them, but he only managed to hurt her. It was overwhelming to see her so vulnerable and heart broken. It was even worse to know he was the cause.

"Oh Rae." he whispered leaning closer to her.

His voice was not dripping in love or admiration for her, but with sorrow and sympathy. Their forehead pressed together, followed by their lips. He wanted to take away the pain only for a moment even if it wasn't real. Her moment of bliss was interrupted by the sound of a door hitting the wall. They jumped apart. Standing in the doorway was a very weary looking Tara, Gar's fiancé. Garfield cursed himself. He forgot he had called Tara to come pick him up. She looked between the two, her face almost not registering them together, before turning around and walking away.

Garfield immediately jumped up and ran into the hallway. Raven was following closely behind him.

"Tara, please listen to me." Garfield begged as she whipped open the lobby doors and stepped into the nearly freezing air. "It- it wasn't-"

Tara stopped and turned around to face him. Her eyes did not portray anger or even sadness. They were tired like she had seen this before. Garfield gently placed his hand on her shoulder and quickly tried to explain himself.

"It didn't start out like this. I came here to work. Please, I'm sorry."

Tara wordlessly turned around. When Raven tried to salvage the situation. She couldn't allow Garfield's life to be ruined because of her. "No, it wasn't him it was me. I'm just some stupid girl with some stupid crush and it was my fault. It was a one time mistake."

Tara turned back around and looked at Garfield incredulously. "Well, don't be a monster Gar. Tell her."

Garfield froze and a puff of breath left him now speechless mouth. Raven was completely confused. She looked from Tara to Garfield back to Tara back to Garfield who had still yet to move. "Tell me what?"

Yes, Gar only wanted to end to pain for a moment. But the thing about pain was it always had a way of coming back.

* * *

"Hey." Dick shouted over the pouring rain.

He had been secretly and silently watching this girl around the office for the past week. She brought some light into the usually dreary and repetitive office. Her red hair shone in a sea of flaxen blond and dull browns. It was impossible not to like her. She was effectually sweet and undeniably charismatic. Dick remembered when he met her in the copy room the other day. He hadn't worked up enough courage to talk to her.

Today, however, was different. It was pouring rain outside. She was drenched completely head to toe. It was the perfect opportunity. He would be completely casual. _Just ask her if she needs a ride. _

She slowly turned her head to him. Her face was paled by the chilly water riveting off her face, yet her hair managed to maintain its glass through thick strands of stringy pieces. "Do you need a ride?"

Kory stared straight ahead before shrugging. She pulled the passenger side door open. "Thanks." she said as her ankle caught up with the rest of her body.

Dick began to drive off in the storm, his windshield wipers whipping hopelessly. The first few minutes of the ride were surprisingly quiet. Dick's eyes darted occasionally between the road and Kory. Kory attended to her cell phone. Every few minutes she would hang up and then dial again. After about ten seemingly wasted minutes she cursed out loud.

Dick glanced at her. "Everything alright?" he asked cautiously.

"Huh? Oh." She laughed. Her laugh was melodic. "Yeah, I'm just trying to buy concert tickets."

"Yeah?" he tried to remain casual. "What band?"

"Chairlift." she answered. "Their playing at the-"

"The Jukebox this Saturday." He finished. "I'm going."

She seemed interested and impressed. "Really? They've been sold out for like ever."

"I got my tickets from Finny. Do you know him?"

Kory shook her head. Cool drops of water splashed his face. Something about Kory was so exuberant. She breathed life wherever she went. A fresh a breath air. Dick found her interesting- fascinating if not a little dangerous. He found his nervousness around her to be extremely prepubescent.

Dick cleared his throat, as the car came to a slow stop in front of Kory's apartment. She looked up at her building and then at her lap. Dick seized the moment before he could nerve out. "Look, I'm sure Finny has another ticket maybe we could both go." he suggested.

Her eyes snapped up. "Like a date?" Moment of silence. "Look I don't know what you're looking for in a girl, but I'm not going to be a break from your wife or girlfriend or something."

"I'm not married." he replied.

It was coming back to him. Sadness overwhelmed him as the forgetfulness began to sink in. "Kory," his voice sighed. "I know we can make this work if we just try again. I can different this time. I- you just have to forgive me."

She smiled at him sadly. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned into his ear. "Remember me." she whispered.

And then she was gone. Dick stared blankly at the spot where she had just been.

"I'm sorry." he said into the empty space. "I can't."

* * *

Raven turn the office inside out looking for it. Her mind was spinning and her heart was racing. It could not be true. Files lay tossed carelessly on the ground. She ran her fingers along the files marked under "R". Still nothing. Anger seized her as her mind turned to autopilot and she just ripped files off of their carefully organized place on the shelf. She had been through these files hundreds of times everyday, it would have been impossible to miss.

What Gar told her had shocked her. It wasn't true and she would prove it. She went straight to Luneca. She realized that this type of disturbing scandal could rock the office. Luneca had based everything off of privacy and secrecy. They would never just leave something like that laying around for her to stumble upon. She left Dr. Slade's office where the files were typically kept and went into the back room to Gar's office. She pulled open the front drawer of his desk and found a manilla file with "Raven A. Roth" written in pen on the cover under a few useless knick knacks.

Inside the folder was a tiny tape recording. The kind they used when interviewing clients. "Raven A. Roth-11/17/07". There was also two pictures of her brain. The first one was marked up with targeted memories. The Before. The second looked like a regular brain. The After. Raven stuffed the tape inside a tape player sitting on top of his desk.

_"Okay Just tell me what you remember and we'll take it from there." _Came Dr. Slade's Voice.

_Raven took a deep breath. "I liked him immediately. But he didn't notice me at all- well, as a co worker, not as a- um...Anyways I uh I always couldn't wait to come to work." _Her voice broke. _"I knew it was- I mean he had-has a girlfriend." _Her voice gave way to sobs. Raven fell into the chair behind her. She felt so numb.

_"Do want a minute?" Dr. Slade asked. _

_"No." she answered quickly. "I want you to erase him, and how I felt. I just-can't deal with seeing him here everyday after the whole...affair. I just want the pain to end." _

Raven pressed the stop button. She couldn't bare to listen to any more. He had known about how she felt for all those years. They had been together for God's sake, and he let her erase it all. He let her come to that office every single day knowing that it was all a lie.

A lie.

At that moment Raven lost all respect for everything that she had stood for. Everything that Luneca stood for. It was a company on the basis of lies. Forgetting someone didn't end the pain. It only acted as a temporary ibuprofen. Because when you love someone enough to want to forget them the pain would always be there. They had erased her past with Garfield hoping to end to the pain. They just wanted her to feel better.

How did they think she felt now?

* * *

This was it: the last memory.

Dick heavily accepted the fact that when he woke up in the morning Kory would be gone forever. I tried everything he could to stop this. The pain of losing her all over again was agonizing almost unbearable. He would cease this opportunity to remember everything he loved about Kory, for those were the only things that really mattered to him. Now and forever. Dick had never really known love until her. Until the morning.

Kory was standing at the copier in the print room, the copier was not being kind. Kory jumped when she saw Dick. She smiled. Dick's stomach dropped, she had such a beautiful smile. "Hello," she said. "can you maybe give me a hand here."

Dick stood in the doorway for a moment. She had always had a warm and inviting demeanor. She was so out of place here at the office wearing a dress suit. He knew she'd give anything to be wearing jeans and a plain t shirt right now. Dick felt a hole burning in his chest.

"Sure." his voice came out in a whisper.

He moved into the room and pressed the correct buttons for the printer. Kory smiled again. The hole grew with every appreciative giggle and bright smile. He wanted to hear her voice again. _Say anything. _

"My name is Richard." he offered. "But everyone calls me Dick."

"Hello, Dick. I'm Kory."

He wanted her to say his name again. He wanted her to say it again and again and again. Water began to flood the office, though it went unnoticed by Kory. Rain began to fall profusely but Kory continued to do her office work. Completely oblivious to what was happening. Dick wondered if Kory felt the exact same when the procedure was happening to her. Did she try to stop it? Did she want to? It didn't matter at this point.

He remembered what happened next. He left the room without a word. He went back to his office to finish up some paperwork, leaving Kory alone in the copy room. Dick remained where he was for the moment. This was the last memory he had of Kory and in the morning it would be gone. So what did it matter if it were right or not?

Dick looked down at the water crashing at his feet. "I remember what happens next." he confessed. "You went to go drop off the papers and I left." He sighed. "I wish I'd stayed. I wish I's done a lot of things." He looked up at Kory. "I wish I'd stayed."

"I came back to the room, but you were gone." Kory said sweetly moving closer to him. "Was it something I said?"

He remained motionless, before shaking his head. "No."

He sighed heavily before moving towards the door. The water was at his knees by now and the walls of the office began to melt away. The rain came down harder.

"Dick." Kory's voice called to him. He turned and saw her standing in the doorway. "What if you stayed this time?"

He slowly, slowly, slowly waded through the water towards her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while the rain poured over them and walls around the slowly began to dissolve away and fall apart. It was too late to wish for it to end, he knew. But he still wished for this moment to last as long as it could. This was the last time he'd ever see his beloved. This was the last time he'd ever love her. He shifted his shoulder so that Kory was looking up at him. He leaned in and kissed her one last time.

"Goodbye Kory." he whispered.

"Goodbye Dick." she whispered back.

Then she was gone. Dick was left standing in the dilapidating space that was continuing to fall apart. His lips still tingled where Kory had kissed him. The future they could of had flashed across his mind. The house, the kids, the dog, everything they could of had. He smiled weakly at the life that never existed between them. He felt an emptiness instantly take over him. A part of him that was missing. His mind felt busy and incomplete. _She's gone. _He realized. He would embrace the last few hour he had of sleep, where Kory remained for now. Dick didn't really want to know a world where Kory never existed. He didn't really want to known what that would be like.

In the morning he was going to find out.

* * *

I had writer's block. I do appreciate the only 2 reviews I did get. Yes, I do read the stats.


	3. Present

Sparklebluelemon left me the sweetest review, so thank you.

Disclaimer: Does anyone even do disclaimers anymore?

* * *

**_How Happy is the blameless vestal's lot!  
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.  
_**_**Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind!**  
**Each pray'r accepted and each wish resign'd. **_

Raven was beyond any emotion she had ever felt in her entire life. Once she had gone through every emotion on the spectrum, she had settled on humiliation. She had gone into that office four days a week for three years, like an idiot. Everyone there knew about her. It was humiliating. Roy and Gar probably got together and laughed at her behind her back. It was more than she could bare.

She had to resign. She couldn't even stand being there anymore. Everything had turned out so disastrously. When they let her erase her mind it was intended to make her feel better. It completely blew up in her face. She held the last box of her stuff in her arms and made her way towards her car. Roy was leaning against it. She ignored him and popped the trunk, dumping the last box into the back of her car.

"Hey." Roy said evenly puffing on a cigarette.

"Hey." She replied.

"You got all your stuff I see-"

"Yeah that's right." Her voice was laced with obvious anger. She barely let him get the words out.

He stood up straighter. Raven slammed her trunk shut. The was a moment of obvious awkwardness. "Look Raven, I know we weren't really friends, but I am sorry."

She looked up at her seeing the sincerity in his voice. She wondered if she dared asked. "Do you swear you didn't know?" she asked seeking an honest answer.

"I swear."

"So you didn't do the erasing?" she pressed, not sure if she should trust him.

His shook his head. He threw his stubby cigarette nub onto the pavement and stomped out the ashes. "Of course not."

She shook her head in understanding. God help her she believed him. "Thanks. Listen don't worry about me, I have to go make things right."

He watched Raven drove away until she was out of sight. Roy used to pity Raven. She had always seemed so secretly sad. He sensed the romantic tension between her and Garfield, and watched on in silent disdain for how selfishly Gar had played with her heart. Watching Raven leave with dignity envoked an unfamiliar feeling of envy. She was finally free from the past. She was free to finally and truthfully move on from Garfield.

It was more than he could say for anyone else.

* * *

Kory was happy.

Which was unusual, considering the bizarre and incomplete way she had been feeling for the past two weeks. The feeling was inexplicable. When she had been with Roy things seemed so out of place. She had, had so much fun with Dick which was weird considering she had just met him yesterday. They spend a blissful evening just enjoying each other's company and now they were driving back to his place. She loved how unplanned this started.

Kory changed her clothes, packed another set in an old leather back pack, and brushed her teeth. She briefly considered taking a quick shower but squashed the idea like a mosquito in a Louisiana bayou. She didn't want to keep Dick waiting in the car too long. Maybe Dick would let her take a shower at his house. She moved about the small space of her apartment grabbing various cds and dvds for them to enjoy together. She noticed the red light on her answering maching was blinking.

_"Hey Kory, it's me. I don't know what's going on with you. You just totally abandoned me at the art gallery the other day and I haven't see you since. Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? Whatever it is I can fix it. I-just call me back." _End of message.

She slid into the passengers side of the car. Dick had adorable five o'clock shadow, she noted as he began to drive away.

"I had a really fun time last night." He mumbled.

She froze and slowly turned toward him. "Nice?"

He glanced at her. The corners of his mouth curved into a smile. "I had the best fucking time of my whole fucking life." he relented.

She smiled satisfied. "That's better."

They rode in comfortable silence. Dick kept his weary eyes on the road. He wanted nothing more than to go back home and lay down with Kory next to him. Dick had woken up yesterday morning feeling like a part of him was missing. He often wondered if he were doomed to the repetative and mundane existance that he had lived up until yesterday. He met Kory that fateful day on the train and changed his life and all his goals.

He thought he might fall in love with Kory. Love was blind and that he knew, his heart was blinded by her. Kory shuffled through her mail stuffing some bills in her bag and ignoring grocery store ads. "What's this?" she said curiously holding up a large yellow package.

She broke the tape using her nail. Inside was a folder. Anders, Kory was scribbled on the tab. "There's a letter." Kory announced. "_To all patience of Dr. Slade. My name is Raven Roth. We have met but you will not remember me. I worked for a company hired to erase part of your memory. I have since decided that this is horrible...some kind of teaser ad or something. In order to correct this I am sending everyone's file back._"

Kory yanked out the tape that was attached to the file and jammed it into the old cassette player of Dick's car. There was static before Kory's voice could be heard. _"My name is Kory Anders and I'm here to erase Dick Grayson." _

Kory froze horrified and looked at Dick. He glanced between her and the road, equally confused. He began to slow the car down. "What is this?" he demanded perplexed.

"I don't know." Kory answered honestly.

_"He's boring. Is that reason enough to erase him." _Her voice sounded angry, tense, and bitter. _"I've been thinking lately how I was before and how I am now and it's like he changed me." _

Dick looked at her, his face a hybrid of horror and disgusted. Kory looked almost afraid and also confused. _"I feel like I'm always pissy now. I don't like myself when I'm with him. I don't like myself anymore. I can't even stand to look at him. That pathetic, wimpy, apologetic smile. That sort of lost puppy shit, you know?" _

"What are you doing?" Dick asked slowly.

She shook her head. "I'm not doing anything."

_"It's weird I saw the end before we begun. It's like that song...oh what's it called? By culture club? Tainted love! Yeah, that's the freaking theme song to us now. The bloom is certainly off the fucking rose at this point." _

It hit Dick like a drunk Yankee fan in a sportsbar full of Red Sox fans. This girl was screwing with him. "Are you fucking with me?"

"No!" she defended quickly.

He shook his head before turning back to the road. "You are fucking with me."

"Dick, I'm not." She insisted.

It was all falling apart so quickly. Paradise was gone. He shouldn't have known it was too good to be true. Things like this didn't happen to him. Beautiful girls didn't fall in love with him. Happiness was a luxury that constantly eluded him. His fingers tingled with irratation. At this moment he was so pissed he didn't know what to do with himself. "You clearly are!" he barked.

Kory ran her fingers through her hair. She could feel the head ache forming at the base of her skull the way it did when she was confused. She wanted to explain herself, but how could she. She was just as confused as he was. Dick pulled the car over to the side of the road. He pressed the eject button on the cassette player and shoved the tape into Kory's hands. He reached over and pulled the passenger side door open. Dick ignored the look Kory was giving him.

Without another word, Kory gathered up her belongings. She slammed the door shut and waited until Dick drove away. She watched his car drive out of sight, before heading home. When she arrived she wasn't suprised to see Roy waiting on her front lawn, just annoyed. She walked past.

"Roy, get the fuck away from me." she said exhausted and breathlessly. She was too frustrated and confused to deal with him right now. He put his hand on her shoulder. She swatted his arm away violently. Hot tears burned in her eyes. "Get the fuck away from me!" she screamed.

Roy's eyes were pleading. Sad and pathetic. She didn't need this right now. "Can we talk about?" his voice was desperate.

"No, get the fuck away!" she yelled even louder, strainer her voice slightly.

She disappeared behind her front door and slammed it in his face. She left the little that was left of her and Roy to contemplate alone, outside in the late February air. She dropped everything she had been holding right on the floor, and went straight up to her room. She fell onto her bed, the tears she could no longer contain slipped over her eyes and onto her comforter. The pillows absorbed the gasping cries as she wailed hysterically.

Twenty minuets ago, she had everything that she had been missing. Dick made her forget the emptiness that starved her mind, and threatened to unravel her mind. She just wanted that back. To be back at the cabin on the beach with Dick, where the rest of the world didn't exist beyond themselves.

After awhile the tears subsided, she stalked around her apartment, unable to get comfortable. Uneasiness plagued her mind and sudden cabin fever began to take over once more. She felt so unbearable restless. She couldn't sit, she couldn't stand, she didn't want to eat anything, and yet she was starving, t.v. was distracting and giving her a headache. All she could do was pace aimlessly.

Finally she could take it no longer. She grabbed the keys to her own car and made her way towards Dick's place, which wasn't too far from her own. He had given her his business card and she was eternally grateful. She parked dangerously just anxious to see him again.

"Hey Kory nice to see you again." A stranger coming out of the next door apartment said.

She nodded indifferently, before knocking lightly on the door to Dick's apartment. After a minute of no response she slowly opened the door and edged herself in. Dick's voice echoed loudly throughout the condo. Kory stepped in fully and shut the door behind her..

_"I've seen her around dating other guys and it's making everything so much harder on me. I just want to move on. She was never a book reading girl, she was more of a magazine type so I could never really talk to her about literature. None of that really mattered to me." _

Kory found Dick in his Living staring at the dusty, old cassetter player sitting on top of his cluttered desk. He didn't turn when she came in. In a way he already knew who it was.

"Hey." she said finally.

"Hey." he replied.

His finger slowly reached for the stop button. He finally turned to face her. "Look what I found on the bookshelf."

He handed her crumpled looking paper. She slowly took it from his grasp. Her other reached up to mouth. It was a polaroid of Dick and Kory looking blissfully happy at a cocktail party. Kory's bright eyes flashed unexpectedly at the camera, and Dick's eyes were lovingly glue to Kory. She turned the picture over. It was dated to last Christmas. Kory chocked on a sob and the tears fell again. Dick stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She tears soaked through his shirt.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." he said into her hair after a moment.

"It's okay." she said finding the strength in her voice again.

Kory pulled away from Dick and wiped the remaining moistrure from her eyes. "Dick, I really like you. I hate that I said mean things about you."

"So where do we go from here?"

Moment of silence. Kory ran her finger along her face. "I don't know." she answered.

Dick's heart thumped in his heart. His mind was simply reeling but he found Kory to be thrilling and intoxicating. He didn't want her to leave, he didn't care about the past which ceased to exist to both of them. It was like he needed her to feel alive. _Fight or Flight. _

"Maybe we can...start again." He suggested.

The smile returned to Kory's brilliant eyes, but her face was ruined by worry and perplexion. She sighed deeply and paced for a few long, agonizing moments. "Alright, but listen. I'm not a concept, Dick. I'm just a fucked up little girl whose looking for her own piece of mind. I'm not perfect."

Dick smiled helplessly. "I can't see anything that I don't like about you-"

"But you will. But you will. You will think of things and I'll get bored with you and I'll feel trapped because that's what happens with _me_." She finished in a huff.

More silence. Dick shrugged his shoulders. "Okay."

A broad genuine smile crossed Kory's beautiful face and for the first time she just glowed. "Okay." she repeated happily.

"Okay." they both said, their voices breaking with ridiculous and insane laughter at the absurdity of it all.

At that moment it all became so clear for the both of them. The world forgetting by the world forgot. Nothing mattered anymore. The past didn't exist and they freed themselves of the fear of the future. They were free to love each other and were secure in that sole fact. The past didn't matter. The future didn't matter. All that mattered was how safe and complete they were in each other's arms.

And that was a beautiful, beautiful thing.

* * *

_Fin _

Yes, the entire story was out of order. If you want to cuss me out for it feel free. I know it was confusing and if you still don't understand let me know and I'll PM you. I must say I had fun writing this and this is my favorite work on fanfiction (even if the plot was borrowed.)

Until next time,  
ChittyChittyBangBang16


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